Joan Miró - 20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Morning Session New York Wednesday, May 15, 2019 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Galerie Maeght-Lelong, Paris
    Acquired from the above by the present owner

  • Exhibited

    Kunsthaus Zürich, Joan Miró, Das plastische Werk, June 4 – July 30, 1972, no. 101, p. 54 (another example exhibited)
    New York, The Pace Gallery, Miró Sculpture, April 27 – June 9, 1984, p. 22 (another example exhibited and illustrated)
    The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Miró in Montreal, June 20 – October 5, 1986, no. 3, pp. 64, 239 (another example exhibited and illustrated)
    Kolding, Museet på Koldinghus, Miró Skulpturer, February 6 – April 12, 1993, no. 1, p. 30 (another example exhibited and illustrated, p. 27)
    Martigny, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Miró, June 6 – November 11, 1997, no. 73, p. 214 (another example exhibited and illustrated, p. 149)
    Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Fondation Maeght, Joan Miró Métamorphoses des formes, Collection de la Fondation Maeght, April 1 – June 25, 2001, no. 11, p. 221 (another example exhibited and illustrated, p. 58)
    Andros, Museum of Contemporary Art, Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, Joan Miró: In the Orbit of the Imaginary, June 23 –September 22, 2002, no. 58, n.p. (another example exhibited and illustrated)

  • Literature

    Emilio Fernández Miró and Pilar Ortega Chapel, Joan Miró, Sculptures. Catalogue raisonné 1928 - 1982, Paris, 2006, no. 59, p. 72 (another example illustrated, p. 73)

  • Catalogue Essay

    Joan Miró’s Maquette de l'arc de la Fondation Maeght is an exquisite example of the artist’s unique sculptural vision that came to define much of the second half of his life. Conceived in 1962, the present work was created as a maquette for the monumental sculpture L’Arc, 1963, an imaginative, creature-like sculpture fusing Greek and Catalan mythologies within the traditional format of the “arc de triomphe”. Miró conceived of this work specifically for Labyrinth, his extraordinary maze-like sculpture garden at the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Miles and Shirley Fiterman acquired the Maquette de l'arc de la Fondation Maeght through art dealers Daniel Lelong and Aimé Maeght, both of whom became close friends and guided them in developing their collection to encompass the work of such European masters as Joan Miró.

    The present work not only speaks of the close relationship between the Fitermans and Aimé Maeght, it also encapsulates the deep friendship between Miró and Maeght. It was in 1964 that Aimé, together with his wife Marguerite, opened the Fondation Maeght as the first institution dedicated to contemporary art in France. Miró took on a central role in the foundation’s creation, notably recommending his friend and architect Josep Lluís Sert to develop the museum’s design. This resulted in an unprecedented opportunity for Miró to realize his ambition of placing sculpture in dialogue with its surrounding architecture and nature – resulting in his magnum opus Labyrinth, within which L’Arc takes a key position. It is a testament to Miró’s great esteem for the Maeghts that he donated a remarkable collection of his work to the Fondation, including another example of Maquette de l'arc de la Fondation Maeght.

Property from the Miles and Shirley Fiterman Collection

Ο115

Maquette de l'arc de la Fondation Maeght

incised with the artist's signature and numbered "Miró 2/8" lower left; further stamped by the foundry "Susse Fondeur Paris" on the reverse
bronze with grey-brown patina
16 1/2 x 19 5/8 x 7 1/2 in. (42 x 50 x 19.1 cm.)
Conceived in 1962 and cast by Susse Fondeur, Paris, this work is number 2 from an edition of 8 plus 5 artist's proofs and 1 nominative cast.

Estimate
$180,000 - 220,000 

Sold for $237,500

Contact Specialist
John McCord
Head of Day Sale, Morning Session
New York
+1 212 940 1261
jmccord@phillips.com

20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Morning Session

New York Auction 15 May | On View at 432 and 450 Park Avenue